The present invention relates to a magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus, for example, a video tape recorder (hereinafter abbreviated to VTR), which can record both continuous moving pictures and a still picture for each frame or field.
In a VTR which is called 8 mm-Video, a recording track on a magnetic tape has a general moving picture analog recording area by two-head helical scan and also an overlap recording area (commonly called) on the extension thereof. The overlap recording area can be formed by winding the magnetic tape round the rotary head drum in an about 220.degree. arc and is generally used to record PCM audio signals.
A proposal that a still picture in each frame (or field) is to be recorded digitally on the overlap recording area has been made. Such a proposal is indicated, for example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 62-33367.
For that purpose, a VTR combined with video camera is provided with a digital-electronic still camera function in addition to a general moving picture analog recording function.
Compared with a case that generally recorded moving pictures are reproduced as still pictures by the still operation, the picture quality is hardly degraded in the recording and reproducing process due to digital recording. By simultaneously reading signals from the two lines vertically neighboring the image sensor of the camera, the vertical resolution is not degraded and a blurred picture due to movement of a subject can be eliminated. By doing this, still pictures of good quality can be obtained. As video printers have come into wide use, it is not required for users to carry around both a still camera and a VTR combined with video camera (camcorder).